The 4 Ps of Business Success (and 2 to avoid)

I learned one of the most important rules of email etiquette the hard way—by screwing up. That important rule: don’t fire off a snotty email when you’re angry or irritated. Especially when the recipient is a new client.

The situation: The new client, an advertising/marketing agency, asked me to write ongoing blog articles for a healthcare company. I had previously written a few pages of web copy for the company, and the process was smooth all around. The offer for ongoing work was a nice nex...